Bit and bobs of soundtrack news surrounding a variety of musicians and bands have surfaced in the last few days, so we're just gonna round 'em up here.
First up, post-whatever band Joan Of Arc have finally lived up to their namesake and recorded a soundtrack to, you guessed it, the seminal silent film "La passion de Jeanne d'Arc." Cleverly titled Joan Of Arc Presents Joan Of Arc, the soundtrack was recorded last year on the opening night of the 2011 Chicago International Movies and Music Festival, it will feature 4 tracks and will be released on vinyl with a digital download thingy with every purchase. If this is the Tim Kinsella/silent movie mashup you've been dreaming of, you can buy it on April 10th. Full tracklist and artwork below. [Exclaim]
Moving in a slightly different direction, Canadian rockers Black Mountain have lent their guitars and amps to "Year Zero" an apocalyptic surfing documentary (or something). They've contributed music both new and old for what is described as “one dense, 45-minute acid tab of music.” Heavy. You can check out the centerpiece track "Mary Lou" below along with the artwork and tracklisting for the disc, and trailer for the film. The album lands on April 3rd. [Consequence Of Sound]
It's kind of amazing it hasn't happened sooner, but for anyone who has listened to M83 (particularly his early albums Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts and Before The Dawn Heals Us) his expansive synth soundscapes were tailormade for the big screen. Well now, it looks like it's finally happening. He tells Triple J, "I'm really excited for the future…my next album is probably not going to be an album. I moved to LA to make soundtracks for movies so hopefully it's going to happen pretty soon." Pressed for further details he remains mum only to say, "I can't really talk about it, I'm not sure I'm allowed to talk about it."
Keeping on the electronic side of things, Live Mint reveals that musician and producer Nitin Sawhney is scoring Deepa Mehta's upcoming adaptation of Salman Rushdie's "Midnight's Children." We presume he'll draw more on his world music influences rather than his house jams, in the film that tells the story of children going up in the newly liberated India, shortly after the country's independence. No details on when we might see the film, but it's in post-production and we presume headed to a TIFF premiere for the Canadian filmmaker.
Finally, little known but hard working singer-songwriter Dan Bern is about to get some major exposure. The Marin Independent Journal reveals he'll have a song in Judd Apatow's "This Is 40." The writer/producer/director seems to be a fan of Bern, having used his songs in both "Get Him to the Greek" and "Walk Hard," but this is the first time he's tapped him for one of his own films. And oh yeah, in case you missed it, Jon Brion is doing the score.
Joan of Arc Presents Joan of Arc Tracklist
1. The Beginning
2. The Shadow of the Cross on the Floor of the Cell
3. Joan Has Just Fainted
4. The Crown Has Just Been Swept Up Joan Accepts Her Fate
Year Zero Original Soundtrack Tracklist
1. Phosphorescent Waves
2. Bright Lights
3. Mary Lou
4. Embrace Euphoria
5. Tyrants
6. Modern Music
7. In Sequence
8. Wilderness Heart
9. Breathe
